Invited Speaker Program

The Center for the Humanities encourages faculty to invite to the Drake campus noted scholars, performers, and artists who are engaged in research, creative activity, and/or teaching in the humanities.

Applications that propose speakers whose topics relate to or augment current or ongoing programs in the humanities curriculum, or whose invited speakers are part of Humanities Center-sponsored working groups, small conferences and the like, are especially welcome.

Deadline

Spring 2021: The Board will meet on the first Friday of each month in spring 2021. Please submit funding requests one week in advance of any given meeting, to ensure consideration. Spring deadlines fall on Jan. 29, Feb. 26, March 26, and Apr. 30. In general, requests for retroactive funding will not be considered, but faculty may inquire with the Director if extenuating circumstances arise.   

Criteria

The following criteria will guide the Board in its deliberations:

• The topic, issue, or question to be addressed by the invited person in his/her presentation should advance humanistic inquiry on the Drake campus.
• The speaker should bring an expertise or perspective not already represented among Drake faculty or staff. Applicants are therefore asked to demonstrate that this particular speaker is equipped to do so. At minimum, a summary of the proposed speaker’s relevant accomplishments and current work should be included, along with a curriculum vitae.
• The activities in which the proposed speaker takes part during his/her visit should engage the Drake campus and/or the local community in a variety of ways. The more broadly public that engagement, on the one hand, and the greater the variety of activities—such as classroom visits, seminars, public and semi-public addresses or performances—the more likely a proposal is to receive support.
• The Center’s support must be acknowledged at the planned event and, when possible, in announcements, presentations, and publicity materials connected to it. Please see the acknowledgments section for examples of appropriate formulations of acknowledgment.

Additional Information

In addition to addressing the criteria above, proposals must include a complete and detailed budget outlining all of the expected costs associated with the proposed speaker’s visit. Applicants whose proposals exceed $1250 should seek additional funding from other sources, and should list those other sources and the amounts requested from them.

Proposals must include an explicit statement of the exact amount requested from the Center. The Board will not consider requests for “whatever support you can offer” or the like.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with the Director of the Center in advance of submitting a proposal. Preliminary inquiries may be emailed to leah.kalmanson@drake.edu.

Complete applications should be emailed as attachments in a standard document format to leah.kalmanson@drake.edu.